25 Great Haircuts for Your Square-Shaped Face, From Tousled Bob to Textured Layers

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Stocksy / Design by Zackary Angeline

If you have a square face, consider yourself lucky. Some of the most famous faces are those with strong, angular jawlines. But there are challenges to having a square face—namely, how to style your hair to play up your best features. As celebrity hairstylist GIovanni Vaccaro notes, the goal should be to "take attention completely away from the jawline and put it on the length of the hair." Both Vaccaro and stylist Marcus Hoey offer their takes on the best haircuts for square faces.

Meet the Expert

  • Giovanni Vaccaro is the artistic director for hair at Glamsquad, an on-demand app for hair and beauty appointments.
  • Marcus Hoey is an East Coast-based hair stylist and the lead educator at Glamsquad.

Keep reading to learn what the best haircuts for square-shaped faces are.

01 of 25

Wavy Texture; Rosario Dawson's Do Softens Her Features

Rosario Dawson
  Amanda Edwards / Contributor / Getty Images

Actress Rosario Dawson, a classic square-faced beauty, shows off her just-below-the-collarbone cut with waves. This look adds softness to her strong jawline. If you have any natural waves or curls, consider leaving them natural—it'll soften your angular features.

To achieve a similar amount of volume in your own hair, follow the steps outlined by Vaccaro: "I typically have my clients flip their hair upside down to dry their roots in opposite directions for max volume while using Glamsquad’s Full Effect Volumizing Mousse ($28). I then finish with 1.5-inch large barrel curling iron to create some loose, bouncy waves."

02 of 25

Dramatic Side Part; Zendaya's Deep Side Part Shines

Zendaya

Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Images

This cut on Zendaya—a deep side part with lots of shine and all the length swept to one side—is gorgeous. Unlike women with long faces who can't get away as easily with long hair, women with square faces look gorgeous with this length. Volume is important when it comes to a square face. "That's why I like using a curling iron to create bouncy waves versus a flat iron," says Vaccaro, who recommends curling in the opposite directions to soften the wave pattern. Finish off with a texturizing spray like Unite Hair's Texturiza Texturizing Spray ($34) to create an effortless, day-two texture.

03 of 25

Textured Shoulder-Length; Gwyneth Paltrow's Curtain Effect

Gwyneth Paltrow square face shape
Carlos Alvarez for Getty Images

Gwyneth Paltrow looks her best with flat-ironed and long locks like the ones she's wearing here. The curtain effect of her hair—which she gets because she parts it in the middle, then flat-irons it—hides the sharp edges of her jaw, while playing up her amazing cheekbones.

Note how she parts her hair straight down the middle, making what could be a boring look very chic. If you go with this look, make sure to cut in just a few long layers for movement.

04 of 25

Tousled Bob; Keira Knightley's Cut Elongates Her Face

Keira Knightley square face shape
Alberto E. Rodriguez for Getty

Long bobs are great on a square face, as long as they're soft and layered. Avoid a sharp, blunt bob that hits right at your chin; it'll only accentuate your jaw, creating a boxy effect.

The long bob is perfect for someone who has actress Keira Knightley's square face. You can see how this cut elongates her face, but maintains a nice edge.

05 of 25

Long, Soft Bob; Gabrielle Union's Razor Cut

Gabrielle Union

Mike Coppola / Getty Images

To style the look á la actress Gabrielle Union, Vaccaro says to ask your stylist to cut the hair with a razor. "For straight to wavy hair, I like using the razor to soften the ends and create my layers. This keeps the lines natural and removes any weight or bluntness which draws attention to the jaw."

06 of 25

Textured Layers; Kate Moss' Light Waves

Kate Moss square face shape
Robert Marquardt for Getty

Shoulder-length hair is flattering on all face shapes, but as you can see here on model Kate Moss, this particular cut is great on a square face. The light waves and highlights here help soften Moss's sharp, angular jawline, and the middle part (common on many square-faced actresses and models) works very nicely with this look.

In terms of styling, Vaccaro says that a flat iron is your best friend for this length. Just be sure to protect your hair from the heat—try Monat's Damage Repair Bond Fortifying Leave-In Crème ($39), which doubles as a heat protectant and leave-in conditioner.

07 of 25

Feathered Shoulder-Length; Mandy Moore's Long Layers

Mandy Moore square face shape
David Livingston for Getty

Here, Mandy Moore shows off a particularly flattering hairstyle, with long layers starting just below her chin, the hair ending at her shoulders. "Long hair takes attention completely away from the jaw line and puts it on the length of the hair," notes Vaccaro.

08 of 25

Mid-Length With Bangs; Kerry Washington's Side-swept Softener

Kerry Washington

Brent N. Clarke / Getty Images

This style—seen on actress Kerry Washington—is classic, through and through. "[It's a] a soft style that has timeless appeal," says Vaccaro. "Side-swept bangs will soften the jaw and the length right above the bust will allow for so many versatile hairstyles."

09 of 25

Wavy With Bangs; Olivia Wilde's Balanced Look

Olivia Wilde square face shape
Jemal Countess for Getty

These side-swept bangs soften Olivia Wilde's square jawline, and her long locks help pull off a totally gorgeous look. She looks perfectly balanced, and it's flawless. For this look, be sure to use a quality shine spray, as the texture is key.

10 of 25

Lots of Volume

Maria Shriver

Desiree Navarro / Contributor / Getty Images

Long layers will always complement a square face. They're especially great paired with side-swept bangs. This look on Maria Shriver (another classic square) is perfect: Her layers begin at the jawline and continue downward.

"You can style textured layers many ways from straight to curly or beach waves," says Hoey. "For beach waves on dry hair, start with a heat protectant and hold spray. Working from the front hairline to the back, wrap hair vertically around a curling wand away from the face. Finish by using a wide-tooth comb to break up the waves and use a texturizing spray for long-lasting style."

Byrdie Tip

Looking to add more bounce to your hair? Wrap an inch to an inch and a half of hair around the barrel. The more hair that wraps around the curling iron, the bouncier the wave.

11 of 25

Textured Pixie; Zoë Kravitz's Short, Choppy Cut

Pixie cut: Zoe Kravitz pixie hair cut
Steve Granitz/Getty Images

For a demonstration of how flattering this cut can be, look no further than the queen of the pixie herself: Zoë Kravitz. "The textured pixie is a short, choppy cut that hugs the head shape and creates a soft youthful look," says Hoey. "This haircut will soften the corners of the jaw and bring the attention to the eyes while creating height and movement. This cut is best when it's one-inch long in the nape and gradually gets longer, to about three to five inches in the crown to the bangs area."

12 of 25

Casual Updo; Minnie Driver's Perfect Do

Minnie Driver
  Dimitrios Kambouris / Staff / Getty Images

Here's a great example of the perfect updo on a square face. Actress Minnie Driver has naturally super-curly hair, but she often straightens it. Here, the style of her hair works beautifully because it's soft, wavy, and frames her face. To enhance your natural texture, Hoey recommends using "a cream or salt spray and diffusing. Or, for a straighter style, blow-dry with a paddle brush and finish with balm for separation and texture."

13 of 25

Long, Textured Layers; Priyanka Chopra's Weightless Cut

Priyanka Chopra with brown hair and chocker dress

Steve Granitz / WireImage / Getty Images

The long textured layered cut seen on actress Priyanka Chopra brings all the joy of length without the feeling of being weighed down. "You can wear this style centered, off-centered, or even with a deep side-part," notes Hoey. "With shorter face-framing layers starting around the bottom of the jaw, you can flip this style any way you like."

Byrdie Tip

Textured layers are ideal for square face shapes because they cut the jaw, slim the neck, and create height and volume in the crown.

14 of 25

Long, Sleek, and Straight; J.Lo's Modern and Sleek Do

Jennifer Lopez
Jason Merritt/Getty Images

"No one pulls this off better than J.Lo," notes Vaccaro. If hair is naturally straight, the long and sleek look requires little in terms of styling. "There's no need to layer this cut," he adds. "Keep it looking modern and sleek by blunt-cutting the length with very little face-framing pieces."

15 of 25

Soft Curls; Rihanna's Soft-Yet-Edgy Do

Rihanna

 

Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

Rihanna's hair is full of texture here, and the soft-yet-edgy curls are a great look for square faces. "To keep your natural curl or wave, I’ll take SheaMoisture’s Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie ($13) and mix it with Miss Jessie’s Jelly Soft Curls ($14) to help create the curl shape and definition," says Vaccaro. "You can twist your hair in sections and let air dry or you can leave it natural based on your curl pattern."

16 of 25

Sophisticated Waves; Lucy Liu's Loose Do

Lucy Liu

 

Mark Davis / Getty Images

If you have super-straight hair but want waves anyway, try spritzing it with a styling spray and winding two-inch sections around the barrel of a curling iron. Next, finger-comb out and finish with holding spray. As seen on Lucy Liu, the look is put-together without being overly structured.

Byrdie Tip

If you have curly hair, try to keep the length below the jawline. Curly hair tends to frizz up when it's too short, and a longer cut weighs down the curls so they don't look poofy.

17 of 25

Long Waves With Side-Swept Bangs; Garner's Grazed Brows

jennifer-garner-hair.jpg
Getty Images

If you have a square face, you have angular features. Your jaw is almost as wide as your cheekbones, and if you were to draw a diagram of your face, it would resemble a square. Because your goal is to soften your hard angles, the best bangs for you are long, side-swept bangs that graze the brows. They should hit just below the brow but be longer on the sides, like these bangs on actress Jennifer Garner, who has a natural square face.

The key to your perfect bangs is to ensure that the bangs are tapered longer on the sides than they are above the brow. The hair above the brow should hit at the brow or just below it. The bangs can be wispy, allowing some of your forehead to peek through.

18 of 25

Modern Shag; Ciara's Face-framing Layers

Ciara wavy lob with bangs

Paul Archuleta / FilmMagic / Getty Images

The Modern Shag is a '70s throwback with a new spin, as seen here on singer Ciara. "This style opens the face and rounds the jaw line with short, face-framing layers, and draws attention to the cheekbones," says Hoey. He recommends adding a curtain bang to accentuate the roundness of the cut. "The bang's shortest pieces should sit right between the eyes and feather out to between the cheekbones and jaw."

19 of 25

Modern Pageboy; Evan Rachel Wood's Timeless Do

Evan Rachel Wood

Gregg DeGuire / Contributor / Getty Images

The modern pageboy is a lovely cut on actress Evan Rachel Wood, notes Hoey. "This soft style has timeless appeal," he says, adding that "side swept bangs will soften the jaw," rounding out an otherwise square face.

20 of 25

Angelina Jolie

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Billie Piper

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Demi Moore

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Jennifer Aniston

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Katie Holmes

25 of 25

Tousled Waves; Heidi Klum's Soft Do

Heidi Klum side-parted long tousled hair

Paul Archuleta / FilmMagic / Getty Images

Model Heidi Klum has a beautiful square face, and her long hair works on her face shape because the soft waves (likely her natural hair texture) soften the harshness of her angular jawline. Long hair is very flattering on a square face, but cutting in some long layers — and adding a deep side part, as seen here — adds more softness to the front.

FAQ
  • Does short hair suit a square face?

    Square faces can pull off any length of hair, but if you're looking to soften the lines on your face, avoid blunt cuts that hit the jawline.

  • Are bangs good for a square face?

    Yes! Go for soft side bangs to soften the hard angles on your face.

  • What parting suits a square face?

    If you have a strong jaw line that you're looking to soften, opt for a side part. Otherwise, a middle part with soft, face-faming layers would work, too.

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